VIDEO: Campaigners' battle for new crossing at crash blackspot

Campaigners are battling for a new crossing to be created along a busy Horsham road

Residents in St Leonards Road say they are ‘risking their lives’ as they struggle to find a safe gap to cross the 30mph road each day.

The stretch has become an accident blackspot with several crashes taking place along the busy road over the past few years and in response an action group - Slow Down for St Leonards - has been created, calling for a new zebra crossing to be installed.

Yvette Bellinger set up the campaign and said it was vital something was done before another serious or even fatal accident occurred.

She said: “So many people live along here and need to cross the road regularly and it’s a challenge every time.

“Many of us are also motorists and understand people need to get from A to B but we really do urge everyone to slow down and take care."

Campaigners are pleading for a crossing to be installed close to the junction with Brambling Road.

The area is home to four schools, two nurseries and a major bus stop and the group says it is frequently used by hundreds of people.

Residents are struggling to cross the road safely.

Yvette added: “A pedestrian crossing could mean the difference between life and death and that’s why we are calling on West Sussex County Council to put one in St Leonards Road before a fatality occurs.”

According to the West Sussex County Council Road Accident Map more than ten crashes have occurred along the stretch of St Leonards Road - which includes part of Comptons Lane - since 2013. Four have been serious.

In March two vehicles were damaged as a car flipped onto its roof in a crash along the road.

Yvette said: “We launched the campaign following the most recent accident in March 2018, because we wanted to do something positive to make St Leonards Road safer.

Hundreds of youngsters cross the road to get to school.

“We are grateful to everyone who has got involved and supported us so far.”

Other concerns have been raised around speed limits on surrounding roads.

Campaigners say many cars speed along the 30mph road which they believe could be caused by a number of 40mph roads in the area.

Calls have been made for greater signage to warn motorists of the speed limit.

To sign the petition visit https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/slowdown.